itsallfolklore (25)in #twain • 6 years agoMark Twain and the Myth of the Wild WestMark Twain did not invent the Myth of the Wild West, but he certainly exploited and advanced it. Roughing It, one of…itsallfolklore (25)in #britain • 6 years agoBagpipes!This example of a set of Croatian bagpipes reveals something that is often not widely known, namely that there are…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 6 years agoFolklore, Trump, and the Screwup FairyToday on Facebook, this image appeared. It is an expression of folklore as it appears within the context of the…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 6 years agoDid elves emigrate with people in the crossing of the Atlantic?There are really two questions here: did elves survive the crossing of the Atlantic? (occasionally they did) and why…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 6 years agoWhen and why did fairies "shrink"?Volumes could be written on this and it's not easy to finesse a concise answer. First, let's restrict ourselves to the…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 6 years agoTolkien and his elvesThe origin of J. R. R. Tolkien’s elves are as varied as the sources he knew and as unfathomable as imagination itself.…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoIndoeuropeans and gods that come in threesA first-century sculpture from Homesteads on Hadrian’s Wall is a Roman-era image that refers to the local Celtic…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoMagic Metal SmithsThe Anglo-Saxon Franks Casket dates to roughly 700 CE. The front panel depicts the Adoration of the Magi on the right.…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoA Corpse for a Bridegroom?A widely-distributed story, common in Europe and represented in the folklore collections from Cornwall, draws on an…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoMermaids!The idea that the sea is home to half-human, half-animal creatures is widespread, with examples from the ancient world…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoThe origin of elves and fairiesWhat is the origin of elves, fairies, and other similar supernatural beings? This is a difficult question to answer.…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoThe Trouble with TrollsThe word "troll" entered mainstream English in 1859 with the translation of a collection of Norwegian folktales…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoFairy ballsThere is a convention that maintains that belief in fairies, elves, trolls, and other similar supernatural beings are…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoThe Original Grateful DeadThe origin of the name of "The Grateful Dead" is sometimes disputed: some claim it came from the Egyptian Book of the…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoJFK assassination folkloreIn December 2006, I documented graffiti along the fence of the famed "Grassy Knoll" - the focus of conspiracy theories…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoAfrican magic in Wild West SaloonThese two coins were found beneath the floorboards of the Boston Saloon, an African American establishment operated by…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoMegalith and magical rebirthWilliam Bottrell, the famed folklorist of Cornwall, used this image in his 1880, final volume on Cornish traditions…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoKnockers, Ghosts, and TommyknockersThis is a one-of-a-kind illustration of Cornish knockers from the nineteenth century. It comes from William Bottrell's…itsallfolklore (25)in #history • 7 years agoWild Man of the ForestThe Roman-era stone face at the ritual springs at Aquae Sulis (the Waters of Sulis), Bath, England, is of uncertain…